Automatic safety catch



May 2, 1950 F. VOGEL AUTOMATIC SAFETY .CATGH' Filed Nov. 2o, 1948 Irwenor' Frarqr Vtoyel,

l .Fnf/zeg Patented May 2, 1950 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC SAFETIY yCATCH Frank Vogel, Philadelphia, Pa., assignorfto Albert H. Reef, Philadelphia,`Pa.

Application November 20, 1;9.4`8,.-.SerialNo. 161,189

6 Claims. ll

.My invention .relates -to a new and useful auto- .maticsafety catch lfor use on brooches, pins and other articles, especially jewelry, which are pinned -to wear-ing apparel -or other yitems .and said catch is to .prevent the accidental disengagement ci the vpointed bar or fastening pin from its keeper.

One object of the .invention is to provide a safety catch having smooth .curvilinear exterior surfaces giving a highly .streamlined appearance thereto vand which `will not readily snag Wearing apparel.

Another object lof this invention is to so position the spring relative ato the `sliding latch that the pressure .or force of said spring is applied closer Ato the center -o-f the device thus elim-inating the dra-g due -to `a tendency `of -tilt- `ing the latch in its housing or the vbody of the .safety catch .in many devices of this general cha-racter.

Another object of the present invention is to `provide ra sliding latch member :having inclined Aside edges .and `a generally triangular shaped :opening to .permit the utilization Aof a narrower base design.

Another object of the invention is to vconstruct 4the latch member with a convex .bottom edge, Vthus reducing .surface :contact with the body 'or .housing thereby permitting smoother operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tapered curvilinear body to hold .a spring latch member, said body having .a convex inner bottom .surface to be engaged by a restricted portion of the bottom edge of said latch member thereby .eliminating lgouging and permitting easy -sliding movements.

Another object of the. invention is to construct a safety catch including a body .memberhousing a sliding latch membenthe companion mem- .ber engaging bottom surface of one of the members being convexly curved to eliminate gouging during operation of the latch member.

A further object of this invention is to construct the body member with integral latch stops which also function as guards to prevent solder entering the latch chamber during the time the safety catch is being attached to the jewelry item. A

A still further object of the present invention is to provide asafety catch including a partially split body member to hold a .sliding latch member, said body member capable of being bent open to receive the latch member and when closed forming ailatch holding chamberfrom which the latch cannotbeaccidentally displaced.

With thel above and other objects in View this latch invention-consists =oi the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter setiorth and then designated by thefclaims. A

In order that those .skilled in the art to which this invention `appertains may understand .howto make anduse the .same I will describe its rconstruction in detail, referring by numerals ite-the fed term -of body but embodying the partially split feature.

Fig. 6 is anendview thereof looking atv the right handsideof Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a section on the Aline l-l of-Fig. 1.

Eig.. Bv is aside view of the .-bodyin Fig. -4spread `open `to receive 4the latch member during :as-

Fig. 9 is a view of an item of jewelryshowing my improved safety -catch mounted thereon.

In carrying out .my .invention as herein -embodied :id represents the .body Lmember of the ysafe-ty catch which .is -formed as a casting or forging. `'lf-his body .has apinreceiving slot il which divides said ybody into `substantially two .halves or hernispheres l2 and vi3 but said slot Il terminates short of the restricted base ill.

Through the body, crosswise of the slot, .is torn/.led anaperture i5 to receive the sliding latch, .to be .presently described, and .from the top wall of `said aperture to the lexterior top surface .of the bedyextend open seams i6, one .in each of the hemispherical .parts of the body. The body is left or'formed .in an open position a-t the seams, as .shown .in Fig. A8 .so as to receive the sliding [or to the body'being closed as shown-.in Fig. e.. aperture i5 projects. downwardly into base. ofthe body below the `portals of .said aperture to provide integral latch-stops .l l, onefat eachportal ofthe aperture l 5 and form the latch chamber.

e., therebypreviding -a rounded top surface t8 inclined beth .sidewise and crosswise and `finally "tapering, atpi 9,. to the Acircular restricted base i I 4. 55 AThe hemispherical portion it Vhas an inwardly together.

of latch member described above.

3 inclined convexly curved surface 2i] leading to the contiguous side wall of the slot II while the hemispherical portion I3 has a long beveled surface 2I leading to the other side wall of said slot. The beveled surface 2I terminates below the inclined surface 23, but together they form a mouth or entrance for the slot I I.

As previously stated, a latch member 22 is slidably mounted in the aperture I5, constituting the latch chamber, and Vsaid latch member is formed from flat stock of generally V-shape providing divergent legs 23 and 24 having inclined outer side edges 25, Fig. 3, and a convex bottom edge 25 so there will be a limited contact with the bottom of the aperture I or latch chamber to avoid a gouging effect which often occurs between the fiat surfaces of coacting members when one of such members tilts during sliding movements. The substantially triangular shaped opening 21 which receives the fastening pin 23 of the article of jewelry 29, Fig. 9, permits of the narrow construction or design of lower end of theV latch member. Projecting from the upper end `of the leg 23 into the opening 21 is a beak 3i! 'having a convex upper surface 3i which, pref erably, blends with or projects as a continuation of the curved surface of the body. The under- -neath edge 32 of the beak is slightly concave,

blending into an arc 33 of a smaller circle, the latter connecting with a convergent inner edge `34 of the leg 23. The edge 34 joins with a concaved edge 35 at the bottom of the opening 21 and said concaved edge 35 connects with the slightly angular straight inner edge 36 of the leg 24.` From the upper outer side edge of the substantially in the same horizontal plane as the legs 23, 24. The terminal end of said arm 38 is reduced to provide a neck 39 and shoulders 40.

The neck preferably extends in a horizontal direction, with the shoulders at right angles thereto7 and after a small coil spring 4I is placed on the arm 38, a washer 42 is assembled on the neck 39 to abut the shoulders 40, and the terminus of the neck is peened or riveted to form the head 43 which will hold the associated parts As the inner end of the spring 4IY engages the body II! substantially midway the height of the latter the force or pressure of the spring is more evenly distributed between the top and bottom ends of the device, thus insuring a free sliding movement of the latch since it is less likely to become cocked within the body.

' In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of body IUa to hold the same type This body member Ilia is fashioned from a at piece of material bent into proper form with the seams Ilial at the top. The fashioning of the sheet metal into the body formation provides the latch receiving aperture I5a and the inside surface of Vthe bottom wall may be convexly curved lengthwise of the aperture, as at 26a., for the same purpose as the convex edge of the latch member 22,

whichconvex edge may be straight when used with the convex surface of lthe body bottom wall.

a suitable portion of the body material and disposed across a portal of the aperture I5a. By disposing such a stop across each portal the movements of the latch member can be limited in both directions and by positioning the stops so they practically close the lower ends of the portals said stops will function as guards to prevent solder entering the aperture while the catch is being secured to an item of jewelry.

An open slot I Ia. is formed in the body cross- Wise of the aperture I5a and divides said body into two approximate halves I2a and I3a, and

the inner side edge of the part I2a has a short beveled portion 20a leading to the slot while the inner side edge of the part I3a has a long beveled portion 2Ia, leading to said slot. These beveled edges or portions constitute a mouth or entrance for the slot IIa. Both of the end edges I9a of the body taper or converge towards the base portion of said body, as depicted in Fig. 5, to provide a restricted base portion making it possible to mount the safety catch on relatively narrow items of jewelry.

In attaching such a device to the item solder is generally used and even when great care is employed some of the solder may iiow into spaces such as the aperture I5, but by providing guards in the form of the stops I1 this possibility is reduced to a minimum.

It is to be particularly noted that the latch member 22 is positioned to one side of the center oi' the body thus, in effect, large and small portions of said body are located on opposite sides of the latch member and the smaller portion is positioned towards the pivot point of the pin 28 so that said latch member will engage said pin 28 back of the sharpened end and still said sharpened end will be within the confines of the body.

Because of the beveled inside edges of the entrance to the slot I I the pin 28 'can be easily entered, and due to the convex upper edge of the beak in conjunction with the opposed beveled edge of the body, the latch member is readily retracted to permit the pin 28 to enter the keeper portion of the opening 21 and the lower part of the slot II. After the pin 28 passes the beak it will engage the concaved underneath edge of the beak and assist in retaining the sliding latch member in a retracted position in connection with the action of the spring 4I. j

Of course I do not wish to be limitedl to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spiritV of myV invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:

i. An automatic safety catch comprising a body having a pin receiving transverse slot extending part way into said body from the'top thereof and further provided with an open ended aperture crosswise of and communicating with said slot, the body having open seams leading to said aperture to permit separation of the body partsY for access to the aperture other than lthrough the open ends, a latch member slidably mounted in the aperture and comprising a pair of upwardly divergent legs, a beak projecting from the upper end of one of said legs into the space between them, a tailpiece projecting outwardly frornthe upper end of the other of said legs, ,an integral arm projecting obliquely upwardly and outwardly from said other leg at'a point approximately midw-ay the height of the latch, a spring on said arm having one end in engagement with the body, and means mounted on the outer end of said arm to hold the spring in place and act as an abutment for the other end of said spring.

2. A safety catch including a downwardly tapering body of bendable material having a latch receiving aperture extending through said body from side to side, said body being closed at the bottom and having a normally closed seam at the top, the parts of the body on opposite sides of the seam being partially separable for assembly of a latch which is held in place after the body parts are closed, said body having a 'pin receiving slot crosswise of the aperture open at the top of the body and communicating with the aperture and the surfaces of the body being curved to meet the side walls of said slot. a V-shaped latch slidably mounted in the aperture and comprising a pair of upwardly divergent legs forming a substantially triangular shaped opening, a beak projecting from one of said legs into the opening, said beak having a convex upper edge and a concave lower edge, a tailpiece projecting outwardly from the upper end of the other leg to provide an extended bearing surface, and an arm projecting obliquely upwardly from the outer side edge of said other leg at approximately midway the height of said other leg, said arm terminating in a neck with shoulders at the base thereof, a spring on said arm with one end engaging the body, and means on the neck engaged by the opposite end of the spring, said means resting against the shoulders and held in place by a head formed from the neck.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the body is of curvilinear formation and the bottom is circular.

4. The structure according to claim 2, in combination with a stop integral with the body at the end of the aperture adjacent the position of the latch arm.

5. The structure according to claim 2, in combination with stops integral with the body at both ends of the aperture and closing the lower portion of said aperture.

6. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the latch has a convex bottom edge.

FRANK VOGEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

